Milk
by AoiKame
Summary: It's been 3 years after the war and Harry finds himself in a relatively peaceful world. Harry however finds his life in disarray after a horrifying discovery of things that have long since passed. Warning: Yaoi and Rape. Lots of it. You have been warned.
1. Chapter 1

Harry sat at his desk in silence and listened to the ticking of the wall clock behind him. He was bored. There was absolutely nothing to do today.

It had been several years after the war, and times were relatively peaceful. Save for a few persistent stragglers, namely Lucius and several of Voldemort's elite, most death eaters have been caught or have died at the hands of aurors and civilians alike. Although countless lives and homes were lost in the war, the community was healing and slowly rebuilding.

As much as Harry was glad that the war was over, he wasn't used to not being out there on the field. With no news about the missing death eaters and the rest being either dead or rotting in the bellows of Azkaban, Harry had absolutely nothing to do. He thought about paying a visit to Hermione, but she was undoubtedly busy with her work in the upper floors of the ministry of magic. Ron was out of the question as well since he was busy at home with his and Hermione's second daughter. Harry didn't feel much up to hanging out with a child.

With a sigh, Harry pushed away from his desk and lazily strode out of his office.

"Wotcher, Harry." Greeted one of the aurors, Anth, on the floor as he passed him by, "Slow day today, ain't it?"

"Tell me about it." Harry said in an exasperated voice.

The wizard laughed, "Ain't the first I heard complain about it today. People jus' aren't up for makin' trouble nowadays." Anth winked at harry as he continued on his way to the far end of the hallway, "Mighty good for the wizarding world I tell ya, but we've gotten so used to some fighting that it just ain't plenty healthy for us to stay cooped up down here doin' nothin'."

Harry watched him walk away and sighed once again. He briskly walked towards the elevators, determined to get out of the dark confines of the building. He needed fresh air and the heat of the sun on his face. He needed to remind himself that this time of peace and fleeting moment of boredom is infinitely better than the dark times of the war that recently passed.

With a ding, the elevator doors opened to let a sea of witches and wizards in. Harry struggled to get comfortable within the confined space of the elevator, to no avail. His shirt clung to the sweaty small of his back and was pressed up against the man behind him. Within his peripheral vision, he could see that the man he was pressed up against was wearing a beautifully tailored and expensive looking suit. Harry felt guilty at the thought of his sweaty back rubbing up against such fine cloth. He tried his best to push his torso away from the man discreetly. While doing so, his hips brushed up against something hard behind him. He wasn't sure what it was but it he paid it no mind.

Another ding resounded in the lift and the elevator doors once again opened. Although many people got off, a whole new crowd of witches and wizards rushed in and pushed harry back harder onto the man behind him. Harry could no longer ignore the odd hard object behind him. It was pressed up against his butt cheeks. Harry understood now what it was but couldn't fathom why the man was so aroused. He opted to remain silent hoping that it would go away and spare both Harry and the man behind him some embarrassment. With three floors left to go, it won't be long before they would both be able to get off this cramped elevator and away from one another.

The man started to wriggle behind Harry, seemingly to get comfortable. This made Harry double his efforts to put some space between them. Harry was embarrassed for the man and his 'problem'. He could imagine how bad it would feel to be caught at such a vulnerable moment in a public space like that. To Harry's abject horror however, the man started to grind his erection behind him. It started with miniscule movements, tentative thrusts against his ass, but slowly gaining speed and force. Harry couldn't speak and couldn't move. His thoughts volleyed between disbelief and shock.

Harry tried to push away when a sudden rush of people coming into the elevator slammed him back against the man's chest, knocking the breath out of him. The man behind him clasped his arms from behind, holding him in place. To somebody unaware, it may just seem like the man behind Harry was trying to steady him from behind. Harry couldn't move now even if he wanted to. His face flushed a brighter red as the humping behind him got faster and with the man's face right behind him, he could hear the quickening of his breath. The man's right hand slid down his arm, past his fingers and held onto his hip tight as he thrust harder. Harry let out a small yip of surprise, which made a few people in the lift glance at him. He kept his face down for fear of being recognized. The-boy-who-lived and savior of the wizarding world, unable to defend himself from a molester. His eyes burned with tears that wouldn't fall.

Suddenly they were gone; the hands, the penis, the warm chest of the man behind him. All of it. Harry looked up and saw that they had reached the first floor. Everybody was rushing out of the elevator and onto the main lobby of the ministry. Harry frantically looked around for the man in the fine suit. He wanted to be able to identify the man. 'To do what?' his thoughts sarcastically interrupted his search, 'To report him?'.

Harry looked down and absent-mindedly made his way through the crowd. He didn't understand why he froze up like that. He should've realized earlier on what the man's intentions were and should've been able to stop him from continuing what he was doing. He had faced death and danger countless times, but this was the first time Harry had ever felt panic like that. He was very confused.

Making his way out of the ministry, away from the wards, he apparated to the small estate he bought himself recently. With a loud crack, he found himself at home. It was a simple bungalow by the coast away from the city. Up there, he was alone and he liked it that way. With the fame that came with being the guy who killed the magical terrorist that was Voldemort, it was his only option really. Harry checked the wards surrounding his home to see if anything was out of place as he walked into his front door and let himself drop down onto his couch. He was still shaken by what had transpired and was angry at himself for not doing anything besides stand there like an idiot.

It was the middle of the day and Harry was on duty but he felt so tired he couldn't find it in himself to go back to the ministry today. 'It was a slow day anyway. They can handle one day without me.' Harry thought as he let himself drift off into restless sleep on his couch, hoping to be rid of these horrible feelings by the time he woke up.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry found himself in a dark place. He extended his arms towards his sides and realized he was confined in a room that was small enough to touch walls on either side of him. He attempted to stand up only to hit his head on the ceiling painfully. A wire with a lightbulb swung by his face and realization dawned upon him. Harry knelt back down and switched on the light in the room. He was in his old cupboard under the stairs in the Dursley's house. Harry was once again a small young boy, about the age of 7. He crawled up to the cupboard door and peeked through it. It was late at night and the hallway was dark except for the telltale signs of somebody watching television in the living room. Barely any noise could be heard from the living room however, so he figured that the volume of the television was turned down. Harry crept out into the hall and into the living room. As Harry rounded the corner, he stood there staring in shock at what he was seeing. Vernon Dursley, red in the face, was quickly moving his hand up and down his massive cock. It was just as angry looking as Vernon was and just as obese. He found himself unable to look away as his uncle let out a strangled cry and shuddered in his climax. Harry's eyes grew wide at the sight and let out a small gasp of surprise. He didn't understand what his uncle was doing but it looked scary. His uncle heard Harry and turned to fix his gaze on his nephew, face growing even redder than Harry thought was possible.

"Come here, boy." His uncle said in a quiet growl.

Harry slowly stood up from the crouch he had been in and silently made his way towards his uncle on the couch. His uncle silently appraised him for a few minutes. The heavy gaze on him made Harry fidget and he scratched his arm unconsciously.

"You're hungry aren't you, boy?"

Harry looked down and shook his head. "No, sir."

Vernon grabbed him by his face and made Harry look him in the eye. "You liar. I know you are. You were sent to your cupboard tonight without dinner, you good for nothing waste of space."

Harry shook his head more violently this time.

"No, sir. I'm not hungry sir." He said in the hopes that his uncle would let go of him. His uncle's hold on his face was painful and he knew better than to ask for anything more than he had already been given. Asking for more usually resulted in painful beatings and hungrier days for Harry.

"Yes you are. Say it. Say that you are." Vernon insisted, tightening his grip on Harry's jaw, making the young boy wince.

"Yes sir, yes I am. I'm hungry." Harry complied.

"Good boy. Now come here. Kneel down in front of me." Vernon said sweetly, letting go of Harry's face. "I'm going to give you a treat for being such a good boy."

Harry looked up at his uncle's face in disbelief. His uncle had never been nice to him before, what more, given him a treat. It was always Dudley who had new things and more sweets than he could eat. Harry was wary of this new side of his uncle but complied quietly with his request. He preferred this much more to the beatings.

"Good. Good. Now, I'm going to give you some milk, boy. But you are going to have to milk it yourself and drink everything. I'm giving you a treat but I'm not gonna have you wasting anything." Vernon said with a sweet smile on his face.

Harry shuddered at his uncle's smile. It was so alien on his uncle's face, so different from what he was used to that he couldn't help it but slightly back away from him. Vernon's smile fell at the movement and at that, Harry quickly closed in the space between him and his uncle. The young boy shook away his ill feelings and tried to psyche himself up for his treat. 'I get to drink some milk!' He thought excitedly and beamed at his uncle. He's never had that before. He was never allowed to drink some because there was always just enough for Dudley.

"Such a nice boy, see! You should try harder to be a good boy like this. You might get even more treats in the future." Vernon pet Harry's head lightly and grabbed his cock with his other hand. "Do you want it?"

"Yes, sir!" Harry said a bit louder.

"Good. Now, get to work. Suck on this, boy." Vernon said, slicking some white substance that was leaking over the top of his dick over the rest of his shaft.

Harry had no idea that milk came from that appendage men had between their legs. He supposed it made sense that since babies got to drink from mommies, bigger boys get to drink from their daddies. Harry opened his tiny mouth to put Vernon's penis in it but it was too big. All he could fit into his mouth was the head of Vernon's swollen cock. Harry scrunched up his eyes and wrinkled his nose at the taste and the smell of the milk in his mouth. He didn't like it at all. Harry tried to pull away from Vernon's penis but his uncle groaned out loud and pushed Harry's head over his cock, forcing it even deeper into his nephew's mouth. Harry choked and gagged as it hit the back of his throat and started to panic. He held onto his uncle's arms and tried to push him off. He scratched at his uncle's knuckles and fingers, trying to pry off his hands from his hair to no avail.

The pace at which his uncle pushed his cock in and out of Harry's mouth was dizzying and his nephew could but just hold on to his uncle's hairy thighs as he ploughed into him. Harry's vision blurred as tears started to fall from his eyes. The feel of his uncle's penis in his mouth, pulsating and red as it was, felt horrible; The taste and smell of it even worse.

With a cry just like he had heard earlier on that night, Vernon erratically pumped into Harry's mouth and came. Harry choked on cum and frantically pulled away from his uncle's slackened grip on his head. His mouth was full with the bitter and salty milk in his mouth and he tried to spit it out. He suddenly felt his uncle grip his hair once again and covered his mouth with his other hand.

"Drink it boy. I don't want a single drop of that milk wasted." Vernon said with a sinister grin.

Harry felt more tears run down his cheeks as he swallowed the vile liquid. He never knew it tasted this bad. He wished that he never asked for it or wanted to know what milk tasted like.

Vernon let go of Harry and stood up to grab his pants on the floor near him.

"Now clean this up." Vernon said, indicating the mess on the couch. Harry stood up to grab some tissues from the side table. His uncle grabbed his arm and forced him back to the couch to kneel. "No. With your mouth. Like I said before, I don't want a single drop of that milk wasted. You wanted this boy. Now you clean it."

Harry looked up at his uncle with sad eyes and said, "Yes sir."

Harry licked tentatively the cum left over on the couch and sucked it into his mouth, nose wrinkled and eyes scrunched up once again at the taste.

"FASTER." His uncle said in his booming voice and grabbed Harry's head, smothering his face into the seat cushion of the couch.

"NO!" Harry screamed out loud. He woke up in a panic and fell off his couch onto the floor. In the process, Harry had hit his head on the coffee table next to him. Harry didn't mind the pain, the pain assured him that this was reality and that he had really left that horrible nightmare.

Harry's hand flew to his mouth as he felt his stomach turn when he recalled his dream. Shakily, he stood up and stumbled for the bathroom. Harry could taste the bile rising up his esophagus but no vomit came out. He spat into the bowl and breathed raggedly.

"I remember." Harry whispered quietly to no one.

"I remember." He whispered once again, fat tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Fuck. No." Harry curled up into a ball on the bathroom floor and pulled at his hair hard. "No. God. I can't... Why?!"

Harry cried harder. He bawled out loud, knowing nobody would hear him screaming anyway in his secluded home.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I'll be honest with you guys. This is really mostly me getting these things out of my head hahaha! So yeah, moar pron for you (and me). But, this is really a story about Harry processing these feelings and emotions. The next chapter won't be pron, sorry to disappoint lol.

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Harry woke up with some effort. His eyelids were heavy and his head was pounding. He slowly stretched out his legs, laying them out on the floor, and stretched out the rest of his body. Nursing a stiff neck, he mused that he had fallen asleep in a sitting position on his bathroom floor.

He hung his head low and gingerly picked himself up off the ground. Harry coughed hoarsely into his hand as he slowly trudged towards his bedroom. After that nightmare, like a dam breaking, various other memories of his uncle raping him came flooding into his mind. He tried to staunch the flow of the memories and the events that transpired, but he could not do so. Memory upon memory ravaged his mind and he wept and screamed all through the night.

He didn't care to look at himself in the mirror. He already knew that he looked terrible. He felt terrible. A glance at the clock on his bedside table told him that it was already 1:30 in the afternoon.

Harry sat on his bed and slowly lay down onto it; it's softness a welcome relief to his stiff muscles. He was exhausted and he didn't want to think about the Dursleys or what happened in that household anymore. Harry groaned and grabbed his head in his hand as his migraine intensified. He frowned deeply and wondered why he only remembered this now. It seemed odd that he would forget such a terrible event in his life. Strange enough for him to consider that he was under a cure or a hex. Harry knew he was lying to himself. He knew the truth, yet he had to try. He was desperate to be proven wrong.

Harry reached for his wand in the holster that was still strapped to his chest over his shirt. Through the painful haze in his mind, he tried to recall any charms that would help him determine whether or not he was under a hex or spell.

Harry whispered a spell. Nothing seemed to happen.

He whispered another. Again, nothing seemed to happen.

He tried once more, with a tinge of desperation in his voice, but to no avail.

Harry clutched his head again as the pounding grew worse. Unbidden tears started to fall from his eyes. Harry's jaw clenched tightly as he shook from the effort to stifle his sobs. "Stop. No more." Harry said quietly as memories of horrible happenings flooded his mind.

"Please. Stop. I can't…" He continued to plead as Harry curled up into a tight ball on his bed.

His vision slowly faded into darkness. Then sleep took him.

Harry's breathing was erratic as he curled up into himself in the darkness of the small cupboard he found himself in once again. He tried to will himself away at that moment. He was so scared. He could hear the heavy steps of his uncle moving down the stairs. There was a single reason why his Uncle Vernon ever came down the stairs at such a late hour. Harry knew that he was coming for him. The young boy shivered and tried to curl up into a tighter ball in his corner, hoping to be unseen.

The door to his cupboard slowly opened and his uncle's large silhouette peered at him. "Come here boy."

The young boy continued to shiver and swallowed the lump in his throat before he whispered, "No thank you, sir."

Enraged at his young charge, Vernon reached into the cupboard and grabbed Harry by his ankle. He pulled at Harry's ankle hard and Harry gasped audibly as he fell to the ground with a small thud.

"You will come to me boy, when I tell you to come. That is NOT a request. Do you understand?!" Vernon screamed at Harry, bringing his face a mere inch away from Harry's and showering his face with spittle.

"Yes sir." Harry said meekly.

Vernon turned and continued to drag the boy along the hallway and up the stairs by his ankle. Harry winced as his back hit every step along the staircase. He did his best to use his arms to lift himself off the ground as his uncle dragged him behind to minimize any injuries he had to treat later tonight or early tomorrow morning. Harry wondered where Vernon was taking him. It was the first time his uncle had ever brought him upstairs. Any special "treats" or punishments his uncle had ever given him were done in the living room.

The large man opened a door and unceremoniously threw Harry onto the large bed in the middle of the room. For a moment, Harry could not move. The soft bed beneath him felt wonderful. It was softer than anything he could have imagined. Infinitely better than the cot he had for a bed downstairs. His small hands caressed the duvet on top of the bed that was soft and silken to the touch. He closed his eyes; it was heavenly.

The sound of his uncle's belt buckle clinking as it hit the ground brought him back to reality. Harry sat up on the bed shaking.

"Now Harry, time for your milk." Vernon said as he pulled at Harry's hair. "A growing boy needs his sustenance." He continued to say, smiling wickedly at his nephew. His slurred speech and the strong stench of alcohol, indicative of his uncle's drunken state. Kneeling in front of his uncle, Harry winced as Vernon slapped his penis against his face.

The young boy swallowed his uncle's penis quickly and started to bob his head up and down Vernon's member. His uncle shuddered above him as Harry sucked on his penis with practiced ease. Rolling his tongue along the penis' head and running it along the shaft made his uncle pull at Harry's hair even more painfully. Harry winced as his uncle once again directed the pace for Harry's head bobbing along his crotch. Harry's head spun and he shut his eyes tight, fighting the feeling of gagging as Vernon suddenly unloaded his cum into little Harry's mouth. Harry swallowed quickly and stuck out his tongue to show his uncle that he had indeed swallowed all of it. Harry had learned over the last couple of months that doing everything just right, just the way his uncle wanted, was the fastest way to finish the activities for the night. And Harry was all for getting all of it over as quickly as possible.

Vernon backhanded Harry's face so hard that the young boy flew across the other end of the bed. "YOU WHORE." His uncle roared at him.

"Been getting some practice in haven't you? Who have you been fucking with that you've gotten this good?" Vernon screamed into his ear.

Harry reached up over his head and frantically spoke, "No one sir! There's no one!"

"YOU LIAR." Vernon roared as he punched Harry across the other side of his face. "JUST LIKE THAT CHEATING WHORE, PETUNIA."

"Boy, you two sure are related aren't you." His uncle chuckled darkly as he crossed the room to get to the other side of the bed. "Well then, why don't we check eh, boy?"

"Let's fuck you raw right now to see how many men you've had." Vernon violently ripped off the young boy's clothing and flipped him over his stomach.

"Uncle Vernon! Please! Stop!" Harry cried, tears and snot freely falling down his face now. "Please! There's no one else! Please! You have to believe me!"

Harry had no idea what his uncle had in store for him that night. All he knew was that it was going to be painful. It was the first time he had ever seen his uncle so angry and violent, and he had seen his uncle angry and violent countless times.

"Please Uncle Vernon! Please stop!" Harry cried out louder as he felt his uncle moving behind him, lifting his hips and roughly spreading his butt cheeks apart. With his elbows propping up his torso, Harry looked behind him and saw his uncle's beet red face staring at him with such intensity that Harry knew his cries were falling on deaf ears. He broke down completely onto that silken duvet he had casually called heaven earlier that night.

A splitting pain suddenly burst up his spine as his uncle shoved his penis up Harry's unprepared hole. Harry let out a choked sob. He lost his voice at that moment, he could but tightly grip onto the bed linen. Every sensation at that moment was so clear to him; the soft feel of the silk under his hands, the bruising grip that Vernon had on his hips, the feeling of being filled up with something foreign deep inside him, and the blinding pain up his spine and asshole as his uncle ripped it apart.

Vernon groaned as he pulled out and slammed back in just as quickly, forcing Harry's tiny frame to rock forward from the force of his movements. With that thrust, Harry once again found his voice and started to scream as loud as he can. Even when Vernon quickly gagged his mouth with Harry's own used underwear; he continued to scream out in earnest.

Harry screamed even after his uncle had finished with his climax, filling him up with milk. Harry screamed as his uncle turned him over and entered him again, his entry this time smoother as his entrance was now slick with blood and warm cum. Harry screamed long after his uncle had filled up him for a second time. For a third time. A fourth time. Harry screamed even as he was haphazardly dropped back onto his cot in the cupboard under the stairs.

Harry's scream was silent as a grave.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: It may be take a few days before I post the next chapters. I still need to get my shit together. Hahaha. I'd really appreciate it if you can review this fic so far and give me your insights. This fic started on a whim so I'm not entirely sure how it will end yet.

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"… gave us quite a chase those two but we finally caught them with no casualties to boot. That concludes our report."

Harry nodded nonchalantly at the young auror in front of him and waived him off. "Good. Thanks John."

John moved to hand the paperwork he filled out to Harry over the table. The sudden motion made Harry twitch nervously and hesitantly extended a hand to take the proffered papers. John cast a sideway glance at his current partner, Anth, who had been watching the interaction in silence. Harry thanked the pair again and started reading through the report.

At the sound of the door shutting, Harry dropped the paperwork he had been holding onto his desk and rubbed the palms of his hands over his tired eyes. A week had passed since his discovery and he still couldn't believe what had happened. The denial was all consuming and Harry had been pouring most of his energy the past week into researching about the possibilities of losing one's memories of 'what happened'. He still couldn't stomach the thought of calling it "rape" or "sexual abuse". Maybe it never happened. Maybe they were just bad dreams.

Somebody cleared his throat in his room, startling Harry out of his reverie. "You look damn terrible Harry. Wha's the matter?"

"Wha- How'd you get in here?" Harry exclaimed.

Anth sniggered as he pointed at the door. "Never left now, did I? I ain't exactly the stealthiest auror there is though."

Harry grimaced at this. Not to slight his fellow auror, but Anth really wasn't known for being stealthy.

"You sure are out of it enough to miss my presence 'ere eh?"

The unasked question hung in the air palpably.

"It's nothing Anth. Really. Just bad dreams."

"Bad dreams? Don't tell me…" Anth glanced at Harry's scar nervously.

Harry shook his head and gave his friend a tired smile. "No. Not like that. Just plain old bad dreams I'm afraid."

"Well, whatever they may be about must be a fright cause you look just about dead yourself. Go home and get some shut eye, boy."

Harry felt himself go stiff at the expression, 'boy'. He had heard it all too often recently in his sleep. "Yeah… I think I will."

"There now, that's a good lad. Off you go." Anth's brow was uncharacteristically knit together in worry.

"Call me by floo if anything happens Anth."

"Yes, yes, now shoo. Else I'll call your friend Granger down here to have a look at you."

Harry chuckled good-naturedly at the taunt as he gathered his things and prepared to leave. After the war, Harry immediately joined the ranks of the aurors and had been single-mindedly going after the dark lord's minions to the extent that he had completely forgotten to take care of himself. Hermione was in the middle of taking her NEWTS then and was aiming for a position within the Ministry of Magic as well. Upon seeing the state her friend was in however, she let go of all her current responsibilities and swooped down on Harry. She wouldn't let Harry out of her sight until he was in a decidedly proper state of health and was reassured that he was going to act responsible about his own health from now on. Hermione had hounded upon his auror peers as well for letting Harry get to that state.

Walking down the hall, he rubbed his arms as he felt himself twitch again. Harry felt frustrated as the memories and feelings kept plaguing him even while he was awake and walking around in public. He tried his best to keep the turmoil hidden but wasn't so sure if he was doing a good job. Harry grimaced at the realization that maybe he hadn't since Anth started to notice some changes in his behavior.

Harry was thankful when the elevator door opened to reveal the few passengers the lift held. He had been avoiding taking a full lift since his encounter in it with the molester. He continued to wonder about who the stranger was but shook his head clear of all thoughts of him as the doors opened to his stop.

He drew a sharp breath and looked up suddenly as he realized that the man that passed him by as he stepped off the elevator had been wearing a suit that was similar to the stranger that had been on his thoughts just earlier. Harry searched for his face and his eyes came to lock onto a pair of gray eyes. The eyes belonged to none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?" Harry called out to Draco just as the doors began to shut. Draco nodded at Harry in recognition but was taken aback by the terror that was apparent on his face. Draco blinked in incomprehension and raised an eyebrow but quickly shot out the briefcase he had been carrying to keep the doors from closing. Muttering an apology to the other lift passengers, he walked over to his former archenemy.

The war had dissolved much of the hostility between the two. In fact, it was Draco himself who aided Harry with countless captures of Voldemort's Death Eaters thanks to the time he had spent in the Dark Lord's ranks. The war's aftermath hadn't been kind to the blonde however. Being responsible for deaths on either side of the conflict, Draco found himself without a friend during his trial at court. That is, with the exception of Harry Potter himself. Draco was beside himself that day with disbelief. The two formed a relationship akin to friendship from then on.

"Potter. You look like you've just seen You-Know-Who been brought back to life."

Harry quickly tried to regain his composure but felt his hands visibly shaking. He shrugged stiffly under Draco's gaze and stuffed both hands into his pockets. The brunette cleared his throat before addressing Draco, hoping his voice was steady enough. It wasn't Draco. He would have known that it was Draco behind him back then of it was him. The stranger wasn't blonde and was a lot taller.

"Nothing. I just thought you were somebody else." Harry stepped away from the blonde discreetly. Despite the fact that it wasn't Draco, Harry couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Draco snorted, "That look on your face says it wasn't nothing. And I wasn't kidding by the way. Was it Voldemort? Is he back?"

Draco had always been pragmatic. He never really cared for fairytales and all that nonsense. Sure, Voldemort had already been "killed" by the wizarding world's golden boy, but who's to say that he wouldn't be back? It has happened before. Three years wasn't enough to allay the fear and anxiety that bubbled inside him.

'Third time's the charm right?' Draco bemused internally.

"No, It's nothing. Honest. And Voldemort's dead. I know he is." Harry replied with ease. He's met with dozens of wizards and witches who have expressed the same doubt Draco was doing now. It was difficult for them all to believe that the Dark Lord was gone for good.

Draco regarded Harry's figure critically. Although he hid it well, Draco could tell by the brunette's gait that he was nervous. He was loathed to admit it, but seeing the golden boy himself acting in such a way made Draco feel nervous as well. Rolling his eyes, Draco reached out to Harry's arm to pull him aside. He felt a need to get to the bottom of this, even if it was just for his own peace of mind.

"Come Potter, I don't think this is 'nothing'. You -"

"DON'T TOUCH ME."

Harry blinked in surprise at his own outburst even as he wrenched his arm out of Draco's grasp. Draco stared back at him with equally large eyes. Several people's attention were caught by the commotion.

"I… I'm gonna go." Harry muttered, turning and briskly walking away from the shocked blonde and the crowd.

Draco made to go after Harry but hesitated, he really was busy and was more than likely already late for his meeting with Harry's friend, Granger. Furthermore, a crowd was beginning to form around him, wondering what happened. Some, he overheard, recognized both Harry and Draco.

Draco turned away from the direction Harry left and slunk into the crowd. He made his way into an open lift as discreetly as he could, thinking about the odd behavior Harry had displayed.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Ahahaha, so sorry. A few days became a few months. I'll try to keep this updated more often.

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Draco jolted forward in surprise when he was whacked at the back of his head with a rolled up copy of today's Daily Prophet.

"What the hell Granger?!"

"YOU haven't been listening to me at all have you. Go on, tell me what I just said to you in the past five minutes." Hermione frowned at the blonde that was sitting before her. Draco had the decency to look as sheepish as a Malfoy could possibly get.

"Right, what's gotten you so distracted that you can't even properly listen to some news about your father?"

Draco eyes snapped up to meet Hermione's. "My father? You never said anything about my father in the floo? What happened? Have you found him?"

"No. Like I said, we haven't found Lucius yet but we believe that we've found a lead to where he and his cohorts have been hiding." She pointed at the folder that lay on top of her desk. "I was hoping that you would be able to help me clarify some things."

Draco's brow was furrowed. He knew that this day would come, when he himself would bring his father to '_justice'_, as Potter and his gang would call it. "Of course." That was all he could muster to say. An emotional storm was whipping up inside of him. Draco held out an arm to receive the documents.

"No." Hermione said after a pause, studying him, and sat on the couch across from him. She called up a tea set from the shelf.

As the tea set floated down between them and Hermione started to prepare tea, Draco looked on with an incredulous expression. He raised a brow at her as she looked up at him with a smile and offered him a cup.

"Are you… quite alright, Granger?"

"Yes. Quite." She replied while she poured herself a cup. "But you're not." She continued, putting some sugar into her cup of tea.

"Hah! Please, save me your ridiculous sympathy for someone who cares." Draco sneered at Hermione and put down his cup forcefully. He flinched inwardly at the sharp sound of ceramic clinking against the glass table top.

Hermione smirked knowingly at the blonde over her cup and continued to sip it leisurely. "Mmhmmmm."

Draco felt blood rush to his face and sniffed snootily as he picked up his cup again. It's been a while since he lost his temper. He looked at the woman sitting in front of him. Although he had been working intermittently with Harry and their relationship had evolved to something of mutual respect, Draco and Hermione's had grown into a full-fledged friendship, much to the disdain of the latter's husband. Time had been kind to Hermione and she had grown up well. Her once scraggly head of hair has been tamed somewhat and now softly framed her face. She looked sharp wearing a well-tailored black office coat and skirt paired with a lavender dress shirt underneath her robes. To nobody's surprise, Hermione had quickly risen up the ranks of the ministry and is now an executive at the Wizengamot Administration Services. She is touted to soon join the ranks of the Wizengamot. If granted the opportunity to do so, she would be the youngest witch to have been a member of the court. Draco hated to admit it, but he was proud to be in the care of such a credible witch despite being a Gryffindor.

"Honestly, I didn't expect you to be so out of it when you got here. I would give you the documents but it's highly classified and if you're emotionally compromised-"

"Emotionally compromised? Excuse me?!" Draco retorted loudly.

Hermione only held up a finger at Draco as a warning and continued to say, "-right now, I wouldn't even dream of handing it over to you.

Even if… no, most especially since it concerns your father. I would assume you know why." Hermione said as she frowned at Draco.

Draco grimaced at her last remark. She didn't want to offend Draco, but she knew better than to patronize Malfoy with anything less than the truth. Despite having gained the trust of Harry, Hermione, and certain individuals within the ranks of the Ministry. Draco was still technically under parole and being observed for questionable behavior. Many people would jump at the chance to find a way to put him behind bars in Azkaban.

"We can leave that aside for now. It's a delicate situation and I don't want other people to know about this until we're ready to make a move. I'll let Harry know as soon as you've looked over the documents."

Draco nodded in acknowledgment. Aside from being the Head Auror and leading investigator in the search for Lucius Malfoy, Harry was named as his parole officer during his trial. He was the only one the Wizengamot determined could deal with him without bias besides the fact that nobody wanted to deal with him at all except if it entailed throwing him to the dementors. After all those years of hunting down the remaining Death Eaters, Harry has been keeping Draco in a very loose leash to which he was grateful for. His pride could only take so much damage.

"All right Granger, you don't have to treat me like a child." Draco huffed.

"Yes, I know." She said softly. "I'm sorry for earlier Draco, but it needed to be said."

She thoughtfully looked him over before asking, "Say, why were you so distracted earlier anyway?"

"Potter." Draco said rolling his eyes.

"Ugh. This again. Seriously, grow up." Hermione replied with disdain.

"You tell your golden boy that. He was causing a scene earlier down at the entrance. I just wanted to ask him what was wrong. He looked like You-Know-Who just came back to life."

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed, eyes wide open.

Draco shook his head, "He did say that it was nothing. I didn't believe him though. Can you believe it, I actually made an effort to show concern for the dolt and what does he do? He screams at me. Such gratitude."

Hermione was up on her feet now and pacing the length of the couch, "And you just let him go?"

"Well, he ran off. Bloody almost took his arm off as he pulled away."

She clicked her tongue at the remark, "Stop exaggerating. Do you know where he went?"

Draco shrugged, "No. Like I said, he ran off. Keeping track of people would be his job, not mine."

Hermione briskly walked over to her desk to grab the folder and handed it over roughly to Draco. "If you're well enough to be a sarcastic arse, you're well enough to start looking through these damn documents."

Draco flipped through the files meticulously as Hermione ran up to the fireplace and threw in floo powder. "Head Auror's Office," She yelled through the green dust cloud.

"He won't be there Granger, I just told you. He ran off. He left the ministry." Draco said out loud, not looking up as he studied the report.

"Right." Hermione popped her head out of the fireplace. There was one place Harry would be if not at the ministry or at an assignment. "Draco, are you done with that?"

"Almost. It's not very long is it?"

"It's just a lead, nothing very substantial yet, but it's more than what we've been given to work with the past 6 months." She padded towards the back of the couch Draco was sitting on to look over his shoulder.

"That's just sad." Draco said dryly as he closed the folder and leaned back to look at her face.

Hermione beamed at him at and grabbed his arm to drag him off the couch. "Wonderful! Now come with me."

"I am NOT going anywhere by floo." Draco said trying to shake off the brunette that latched on to his arm. "The damn dust gets everywhere, it's filthy."

"Great to know, but we're not going there by floo." Hermione replied with a glint in her eye as she reached for a silver marble a small statue of a woman was holding.

Draco's appalled scream was cut short as the portkey sucked them in.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Another chapter! Wooh! Despite its shortness, I hope you enjoy reading this.

* * *

Harry was doubled over in an alley as he panted hard. His heart threatened to break out of his rib cage with its thumping. He shivered as sweat dripped down his back. Harry's face contorted in disgust as memories plagued him once again.

_A tongue swept its way up Harry's neck, tasting the salty perspiration forming along his back. He cringed and tried to crawl away from the offending appendage. The tongue felt slimy and a mouth clamped down onto his nape. _

Harry felt his knees grow weak and let himself slide down the brick wall to the grimy pavement. He wrapped his arms around himself and gripped himself tightly. His breath only quickened even more.

_Hands slid up his thighs and roughly spread his legs apart. Harry couldn't breathe, he clawed at the wooden floorboards beneath him. He couldn't escape. Something large, warm, and wet was poised at his entrance. Harry breathed in and out quickly, preparing himself for the pain._

He slammed his head back onto the wall behind him, the pain a small relief from his internal turmoil. For a moment he could see clearly and remember he was in a dirty alleyway, not in the Dursley household. He felt a tightness in his pants and looked down to see his arousal. Horrified, he tried to smother his apparent arousal, but touching it only made himself feel even more light headed.

Tears ran rampant down his face as he continued to rub himself down. "What the fuck?! This… This can't…" Harry couldn't fathom why he was feeling so hot. He couldn't understand why he had a hard on now of all times, not when he was in the middle of this avalanche of memories.

_Fingers spread himself wide and thrust back and forth in his asshole. His hips bucked as the warm crevice of Uncle Vernon's mouth wrapped around his manhood. He maneuvered his tongue around the small penis, noisily making lewd slurping sounds. Harry whined as his uncle added another finger in his hole and more violently pushed them in and out of his nephew. The small boy yelped as he felt something rip inside of him and blood mixed in with the saliva dripping from his uncle's mouth._

Harry groaned as he felt himself climax. Harry cried hard and loud as he looked up at the scant view of the sky from the alley and the warmth in his crotch spread. He felt like he was going mad.

"Stop… Please…"

Tears continued to fall from his eyes like a torrent. He rolled up into a ball and held his hands up to his eyes, willing them to stop. He cried until no more tears fell from his eyes and was just simply bawling.

All too suddenly, Harry's sobbing stopped and he felt himself grow numb. The numbness started from his head and slowly spread out into his chest and extremities. He felt his fingers twitch involuntarily. Harry felt like he was a completely separate entity from his body. He couldn't feel anything and he felt like he was far away from the ground. _Strange_, Harry thought, _but this feels better than being a crying wreck_.

He continued staring at the sky for some time. He didn't know how much time had passed when he came to his senses and realized that he should get up and move. Harry slowly stood and sluggishly looked around. A loud pop echoed in the empty alley and he disappeared.

The moment Harry popped into existence along the edges of the wards he put up in his home, he sensed the presence of foreign magic in the vicinity. Harry groaned and rubbed the heel of his palm against his temple. The beginnings of a migraine was making itself known.

"First, a meltdown; now, an intruder. Wonderful." Harry frowned bitterly as he carefully made his way to the quiet bungalow along the cliff. The sun was beginning to set and the darkness of night was starting to creep in along the edges of the sky.

Holding his wand at a ready, he lay himself flat against the wall beside the doorway. He slowly twisted the doorknob and found it, unsurprisingly, already unlocked. He breathed in deep and quickly threw open the door. He waited for a barrage of spells to come flying through the doorway. However, only the surprised yells of a female and male voice came from within the house.

Harry raised a brow in surprise and peeked inside, "Hermione? Draco?"

"HARRY! YOU GIT! Where have you been?!" Hermione screamed as she barreled down to hold him in a tight embrace.

Harry winced when she collided into him and concentrated on refraining from panicking as she held him tightly. He couldn't breathe properly and his heart seemed to beat too fast. He wondered if she could tell.

"Honestly Potter, what a silly way to enter your own home." Draco chimed in, quickly recovering from the surprise.

Harry ignored the taunt and simply raised a brow as he spied the mess of paper and snacks on his dining room table. "I see you've made yourselves at home. What are you doing here anyway? You could've warned me first. I could have hexed you to oblivion."

Hermione let him go and huffed haughtily, "We've been looking for YOU obviously!"

"Oh." Harry replied nonchalantly. He suddenly remembered the state he was in. His pants and robes were filthy. His skin felt too sticky and warm. He needed a bath.

"Where have you been?! Draco says you were acting odd this afternoon and then you come in here today looking like death. What's going on Harry?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Harry said with a smile. "Now, excuse me, but I really need a bath. You guys could uh, carry on with your snacking."

"Right. You smell like you need one." Draco replied settling into the chair he had jumped out of earlier.

"But-" Hermione started to say in protest.

"Hermione," Draco called out to the brunette, "I believe we could now begin discussing the documents from earlier now that Harry is no longer a missing person?"

Harry looked at Draco for a moment and nodded at him before making his way to the bathroom in his bedroom, thankful for the surprising but welcome assistance.

Closing the door behind him, Harry sighed heavily and allowed himself to relax. He grimaced as he stripped off his clothes and felt the cool air hit his naked flesh. His frown deepened as he started removing his sticky underpants. Anger spiked in him as he stared at the piece of clothing in his hand. He couldn't understand why he came earlier and why he just started virtually, jacking off to his filthy memories. He looked at his reflection in the full length mirror that hung on the bathroom door and sneered.

"You're disgusting." He whispered.

Harry violently threw the soiled underwear in the bathroom trash bin. He felt his stomach turn at the thought of having to clean up after the misguided arousal.

Stepping into the shower stall, he turned on the stream to full blast. The water pelted painfully onto his skin. Harry felt restless though, it wasn't enough. Harry turned up the heat just up to the point of unbearable and he stood there, letting the hot water turn his skin red and the steam fill the room white.


	7. Chapter 7

Draco watched the door close behind Harry. He couldn't help but notice the tension with which he carried himself. Although the nervous and frightened energy he witnessed earlier that day was gone, it was replaced by a palpable tense aura. Almost like how a serpent coiled up and poised to defend itself, ready to spring at the slightest sign of aggression.

When Harry had come bursting in through the front door, Hermione and Draco had just gotten back from their search for him around the streets of London. She had taken him to all of his usual haunts like a discreet bistro called The Red Mare some two blocks away from the Ministry and a nondescript café a bit further away. Draco couldn't help but feel surprised at how inconspicuous the places they went to were. He had always assumed that Harry would spend his time outside of work at more "lively" places, as Draco would put it.

The two of them have never really had the time to spend together alone, even more so outside of anything related to capturing his fellow death eaters and other auror related activities. They've always gone out with a team of aurors. It never really crossed his mind until now. Harry had always been so focused on the task at hand, he rarely saw him doing anything else. This only made Draco realize how odd it was to see Harry acting so distracted.

* * *

"_So, this is where the golden trio hangs out in their free time." Draco commented casually as they walked into The Red Mare that afternoon._

"_Oh, not really. This is more of Harry's preference than ours. He likes it here, says it's quiet." Hermione replied briskly. She quickly made her way to a man who Draco assumed to be the manager to ask if he had seen Harry._

* * *

Throughout the day, Draco was beginning to piece together a new image of the Boy-Who-Lived's life in the aftermath of war. He had always assumed that Harry would have been basking in the glory of his victory or at least enjoying life outside of work now that it no longer revolved around him being a hero or at least trying not to be killed by some villain. _Isn't that how it's supposed to end?_, Draco had said to himself along this line of thought.

* * *

_After visiting the third training facility (The first had been a shooting range, the second an archery studio, and lastly a judo dojo), Draco grumbled at Hermione, "How boring a life does Potter lead, we've either been to some part of the Ministry, a dreary food establishment, or some sort of training facility. I'm also impressed at the same time slightly creeped out by the fact that you know his schedule quite so well."_

_Hermione was beginning to look as stressed as she was feeling all day. Her hair was breaking out of its tame state and resembled herself from back in their Hogwarts days. "It's not creepy, we've been doing this since he went overboard a few years ago in his auror duties. It's for safety purposes." Her brow was furrowed deeply._

"_What exactly are you so worried about though, Granger? Since then, Potter seems to have been perfectly capable of taking care of himself."_

"_I wouldn't really call spending 90% of one's time training or hunting for Deatheaters healthy." Hermione replied with a frown._

* * *

From his secluded abode in the middle of nowhere, to his hobby choices, Draco was beginning to realize that Harry had indeed been living a life of solitude and isolation. He wasn't one to judge because he himself preferred a quieter lifestyle, it seemed unusual to Draco however, for Harry to do the same. On the other hand, it also seemed understandable that the fame that came with being who Harry was would turn him off from further public engagement.

"Well," Draco said, looking at the woman across the table from him, "we found him?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the blonde sitting in front of him and savagely chomped on a potato crisp. "More like he found us. Still doesn't answer the question of where he's been."

"I'll ask again, what ARE you so worried about? Don't get me wrong, after all these years I still find it amusing to tease you for being such a spaz, but worrying about Potter like this seems hardly reasonable."

Hermione twirled a finger around a lock of hair as she bit her lip, trying to find the right words to say. "I suppose I'm just being paranoid... but he worries me. He's become so avoidant lately."

She looks up at Draco, searching his eyes and wondering if she could freely talk about this with him. Draco raises a brow at her. Hermione sighs and continues to speak, "He hasn't really talked to anybody about what happened in the war. I'm not exactly sure why, but it feels like he's disappearing."

Draco crosses his arms over his chest and sighs. He didn't really know what to say to Hermione. He has never been one of those people turn to for comfort.

"You might be just overthinking this. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe Potter's been in dire need of some private time after all those years under the public eye? He still is, to be honest. That Skeeter woman published some nonsense recently about Harry and boggarts. I didn't really read it, just saw it in passing."

"I guess…" Hermione replied slowly.

Draco tilted his head as he continued, "Regarding today's episode, maybe he's just had a bad day? It's not like we aren't unaccustomed to his emotional outbursts. He may have somewhat mellowed over the past couple of years but that he's still the same hothead."

Hermione looked pensive as she reached out for her cup of coffee.

"Draco, about the mission in the file, it's a simple reconnaissance mission. I've assigned only you and Harry on the case."

Draco coughs a bit over his cup, "What? Why?"

"Like I said before, this mission is a pretty sensitive one since it concerns you and your father."

"True." Draco replies with a nod.

Hermione smiles at Draco and looks down at her cup as she spoke, "I'd also like you to look after Harry for us. I realize this is your first mission together on your own. As much as you're a snarky arse, I do trust you."

Draco wrinkled his nose at the coffee, it was a bit too bitter for his taste. "You would trust a deatheater with your golden boy?"

Hermione throws a paper ball at Draco with a snigger, "I would trust a friend with a friend."

Draco swiftly moved to his right to avoid the projectile and caught it deftly. He smirked at the brunette as he tossed it back at her.

Deep inside, he felt anxious however for the upcoming mission. He had reassured Hermione, but he couldn't shake off the feeling himself that there was definitely something more than a desperate need for solitude with the man in question. Draco couldn't forget the terrified look Harry had given him earlier that day. It was an expression he hadn't seen since the war, true terror.

* * *

A/N: Hahaha, I'm having a really difficult time writing this… Please help me by reviewing it. I need to know if it still makes sense for other people. My writing and speech tend to skip details or whole conversations when my brain is already about two steps ahead.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry scowled at the blonde man sleeping beside him. The train's movements were gently rocking his lithe body in his sleep. They were currently on their way to a small town at the edge of Scotland as indicated in their mission briefing. When Hermione told him that he was going on a mission alone with Draco to follow a lead regarding Lucius, a mounting fear began to build up inside of him. He was feeling vulnerable, barely holding together an image of being all right in public. At the edge of going crazy, he was afraid to be found out. He didn't know how long he could keep up this façade especially if Draco would be beside him 24/7 for god knows how long. This mission could last from a few days to several weeks depending on what would happen. He hoped for the former possible circumstance.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was tired both physically and mentally but he knew he couldn't let himself go to sleep just yet. With a team of just two people, one of them had to stay awake at any given point in time to keep watch. His turn to sleep was in a few more minutes. He would have to wake up his partner to trade places. Harry slid a hand up past his face to his cheek and let the cold palm of his hand rest above his eyes. He was nervous about going to sleep when he knew it would be wracked with bad dreams. He couldn't assure himself that he could keep his emotions under control.

Time was ticking and he now only had 10 minutes til his turn.

* * *

Draco felt the warmth of the sun touch his face. He yawned and sleepily blinked to shake the sleep away from his eyes and take in his surroundings. He started when he realized that it was already early morning and turned towards the brunette beside him who was busy checking on their packs that he had already removed from the overhead bins.

"Our stop is in 15 minutes." Harry said glancing up at him.

"You didn't wake me up." Draco replied, annoyed.

Harry shrugged at the blonde and continued rifling through his pack, "I wasn't sleepy."

Draco crossed his arms across his chest and huffed, "Potter, much as I enjoy my beauty sleep, I enjoy being alive even more and I don't want it being endangered by a partner due to lack of sleep."

Harry hid a grimace and laughed softly, "It's ok, I'll be fine without sleep for a day or two."

He huffed at the brunette haughtily, he was about to reply when the train intercom announced their arrival to the station. Harry threw Draco's pack at him and swiftly strapped on his own bag to himself. He couldn't help but snigger as Draco stumbled along beside him, still groggy from sleep, while grumbling about the rude awakening.

Draco looked at Harry's broad back as he led them away from the train station crowd. To Draco's disdain, they were now clad in muggle casual wear. Harry was wearing a simple gray shirt and jeans. Slung over one shoulder was a worn-out dark green backpack. Draco would have scoffed at the scruffy appearance of his companion but he himself was wearing something he wouldn't have been allowed to be seen in public normally. He wore a light blue button up shirt over a white v-neck top, paired with khaki pants and a brown satchel. As a result of a long argument with Harry about being conspicuous, he now wore his hair loose, his white blonde hair sweeping just above his eyes.

Despite Draco's earlier apprehension, there was little to no trace of the strange behavior Harry displayed a few days ago. Forgoing sleep on a mission was pretty much a regular thing for his companion. Being on a covert mission, they've been taking less popular routes to get to their destination, often opting for muggle transport. That being so, they've been on the road together to Scotland for at least 3 days by now. As written in the documents Hermione had given Draco, there was some suspicious activity and a sighting of his father's fellow deatheater refugees in the small town they were headed.

Draco shook his head and started to wonder if maybe he had just been making that moment he saw Harry distraught a bigger issue than it really should. Maybe the Golden Boy was just having a bad day.

'_Honestly, I'm getting as bad as Hermione.' _Draco mused to himself, _'Rather, shouldn't I be focusing on the search for my father? He's not going to be pleased to see me. Especially not with Potter in tow.'_

Draco kept reminding himself that it was just going to be a reconnaissance mission anyway. The chances he would be confronting him himself was slim. He and Harry just happened to be the best choice for a discreet and highly sensitive mission as this.

They had just reached the entrance of a small inn where Harry indicated with a curt nod that this would be where they were staying for the night. They were a few hours away from their target but, as discussed before they left Harry's home, it would be best if they stayed in the nearest settlement instead. Their prolonged presence in the town would arouse suspicion. Glamour and diversion spells would avert the muggle's attention but only alert the wizards around the area.

After a small meal in the tavern on the 1st floor, they proceeded up to their room. Harry immediately went about to set protective wards around it. Draco settled down on his bed and watched him work. As the night wore on, Draco steadily grew irritated as Harry kept himself busy with various things around the room. After putting up wards, he had proceeded to work out a bit and then moved on towards practicing spells.

"Potter."

Harry went on muttering a spell that made dark green and gold sparks burst out of his wand and made the air smell of Sulphur.

"Potter." Draco repeated louder and to his surprise, Harry drew his wand in his direction in a flash.

"Ah!" Harry exclaimed, "Uh, sorry, what is it?" He continued to say sheepishly.

Draco gulped but rolled his eyes at Harry and drawled, "Would you put it to rest and sleep. You've stunk up the place plenty already."

Harry, slowly drawing back his wand, replied hastily, "Right. Fine. I'm gonna go clean up a bit first though."

As Harry picked up his things and shut himself inside the bathroom, Draco couldn't help but think about the fact that this would probably be the longest amount of time they would have ever had to spend together alone. By reflex, Draco sneered at the fact that he would have to spend days or maybe weeks with the self-righteous Gryffindor, but he knew this to be no longer true. They never really spoke about it outright, but a truce seemed to have been made. Harry was tired of the fighting and Draco had no leverage to fight with anymore being at the Wizengamot's mercy.

Their friendship, if one could call their relationship that, was a simple one. The unspoken rule was to trust each other and to respect each other's boundaries. Unlike all those years ago, where Draco offered his hand of friendship to a lonely and friendless Harry, it was now Harry's turn to offer Draco the same gift. Despite their hostility, Draco did know him the best among all the aurors he worked with and ran with him flawlessly once the Slytherin let his ego go. They were a force to be reckoned with and both allies and enemies knew it. Harry had a bit of trouble with that every now and then when some people make comments about his apparent alliances, but the brunette didn't care.

But as mentioned before, the relationship was a simple one and the boundaries start with anything remotely personal. Draco himself distrusted intimate relations and was the first to deny any personal interaction. He didn't realize however that Harry was a party in the severance of their personal relationship. Draco never really thought about it now, but he guessed that they really were probably not all that different after all.

'_In fact,'_ the blonde thought to himself slightly amused, _'Harry could've probably passed off as a pretty decent Slytherin.'_

Harry had just come out of the bath and rubbed his hair dry with a towel. A pillar of steam followed him out of the doorway. He sat down on his bed with his back towards Draco. Draco could see the tense lines of his back muscles lined against his white nightshirt. He wondered why he was so tense again.

Draco frowned then, realizing he was already breaking one of their unspoken rules. He was going beyond the border. He didn't like it and decided to shut out those feelings of worry once again. He determined that Harry was somebody he didn't need to worry about. He never have and he wasn't going to start now that he's a damn adult and capable of taking care of himself. He didn't care.

'_Wait, I care?'_

Draco was startled at the sound of his own voice in his head. He turned over and over the sentence in his head but he couldn't fathom the depth of what it meant. Draco Malfoy cared about Harry Potter. He wasn't even being sarcastic about it. This was an entirely new feeling for him. He never cared about anybody in his life. He respected his mother and Severus. He had an estranged connection with his father, teetering between hate and respect. He enjoyed having surrounding himself with his friends like Blaise, Greg, and Vin. But he never really cared enough to wonder about why their shoulders were tense.

Suddenly, Harry looked back at him and asked rudely, "What?!"

Draco looked back at him, utterly confused, "What?"

Harry sat cross legged on his bed and spun around to face him, "You've been staring at me for a while now."

"Oh please." Draco scoffed, "The world doesn't revolve around you Potter."

He turned over to face the other side of the room and grabbed a book he had brought with him for light reading. He started to read but he couldn't get past the first line on the page he bookmarked. He couldn't shut out the sentence repeating in his head. It only seemed to get louder. His face felt hot, he could feel it pulsing from the blood rushing to his face.

'_I care about you.'_

He could hear Harry clicking his tongue against his teeth in annoyance before silence started to stretch out between them. And then, a light snoring resonated in the room as Harry slept. Draco held up his hands against his ears as if trying to shut out his voice repeating that sentence in his head. He thought his heart was beating so loud he was going to wake the sleeping boy.

'_Somehow caring about somebody,'_ Draco realized and would only admit it to himself grudgingly, _'feels good.'_

* * *

AN: Wooh, nice feelings are so hard to write. This is my first time writing something like that. I don't know if I did it well or not hahaha! Please send me reviews! I would really love to read your feedback. It feel like turning Harry and Draco's relationship into something more intimate is so difficult and fragile. I could ruin it so easily lol.


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